Alfredo Matas Salinas

1920 – 1996

TECNICCIAN BIOGRAPHY

(1920 - June 22, 1996, Barcelona, Catalonia) was a producer and distributor of Spanish cinema. He was known as "the czar of Spanish cinema" because of the importance he had in the history of cinema of this country. After managing several cinemas in Barcelona, he decides to travel to Paris to know a new system of sound and image, the Cinerama. The result of this adventure will be Cinesa (Company of Initiatives and Entertainment) which will exploit the invention in Spain since 1958. Three years later he creates a new company, Jet Films, for the sole reason of producing the film Placido (1961), by Luis García Berlanga. Jet Films produced more than 30 titles that are now reference in the Spanish cinema. Of his work with Berlanga will emerge titles as outstanding as Tamaño natural (1973), La vaquilla (1985) and the triology La escopeta nacional (1979), Patrimonio nacional (1980) and Nacional III (1982). He will not only worked with Berlanga. Throughout his life as a producer, Alfredo Matas took special interest in making films for young talents, but never stopped working with acclaimed directors such as Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel (Ese oscuro objeto del deseo, 1977), Jaime Chávarri (Bearn, 1982), Las bicicletas son para el verano (1983), Tierno verano de lujurias y azoteas (1992); Jaime de Armiñán (El amor del capitán Brando, 1974), Pilar Miró (El crimen de Cuenca, 1979). He was one of the promoters of the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain. He received its Gold Medal in 1994.